One day in February, I had just finished watching Ne Zha 2 when I checked my phone and discovered that the animated film had already grossed more than US$1.38 billion globally a figure I never imagined a Chinese animated film would earn.

The fantasy film, which centres on an unruly three-year-old Chinese boy who battles dragons and defies destiny, has achieved a seismic milestone for Chinese animation, sparking widespread media coverage and discussions in China and abroad.

The movie’s success might seem like a stroke of luck to some people, but it is anything but accidental. It represents the culmination of years of hard work and cultural introspection in China’s animation industry.

Once barely known to global audiences, Chinese animation has begun to find its footing and make a splash over the past decade. Films like Monkey King: Hero Is Back, White Snake and Chang An have garnered box office success and critical acclaim, laying the groundwork for the triumph of Ne Zha 2.

At the heart of this transformation lies a simple yet profound shift: Chinese animation has returned to its roots telling China’s own stories in its own way. For decades, Chinese animation struggled to carve out a distinct identity, as overseas productions, particularly from Disney and Japan, dominated the market. Since the 1990s, many Chinese studios began to serve as subcontractors for Japanese animation companies, handling in-between frames that form the backbone of traditional 2D animation. Such tasks offered little room for artistic creativity or technical innovation, hindering the development of a robust domestic industry, said Zhao Guisheng, a professor at the Film-Television and Communication College of Shanghai Normal University.

Meanwhile, some Chinese animators attempted to emulate the success of their international counterparts, adopting foreign character designs and imitating animation styles. However, by trying to tell Chinese stories through the lens of others, this approach often sidelined China’s unique cultural traits and aesthetics and resulted in works that felt derivative.

For many of us born in the late 1990s, the influence of American and Japanese animation films was more pervasive. We were captivated by Disney films, Pixar creations, the fantasy worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, and even Chinese legends adapted by foreign studios, such as Kung Fu Panda and Mulan. Meanwhile, homegrown animated films were often dismissed for their simplistic storylines and lack of originality.

Yet the foundation for change was already laid decades earlier. In 1979, the ground-breaking film _Ne Zha Conquers the Dragon King_was released and demonstrated the great potential of distinctly Chinese storytelling.

Despite China’s technological limitations at the time, this fully Chinese-produced animated film, adapted from Chinese mythology, combined powerful narratives with striking visual artistry, becoming the first Chinese animated film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

The success in the late 1970s proved that “telling our stories our way” could be a winning formula. However, Chinese animation strayed from this approach in the following decades, with many producers, eager for quick profits, flooding the market with poorly-made or imitative works. They overlooked the fact that creating good content requires significant time, investment and, of course, patience.

Decades later, that formula was finally revived and embraced, giving rise to a series of Chinese animated blockbusters, not least Ne Zha 2.

Drawing on a 16th-century novel, Ne Zha 2 retains deep connections to Chinese culture, featuring references to the ancient Sanxingdui civilisation and incorporating regional dialects.

What has propelled this film to unprecedented heights, particularly its appeal to international audiences, is its ability to link traditional Chinese stories with contemporary universal themes like self-confidence and the struggle against fate.

Director Yang Yu, better known by his nickname Jiaozi, said the team approached the project by “taking the essence of traditional values, refining them and presenting them in a way that resonates with the current era”.

Equally impressive is the film’s technical brilliance. With nearly 2000 special effects shots and contributions from 138 animation studios, the film marks a quantum leap in China’s animation industry.

Technical sophistication is not just about creating stunning visuals, but also about ensuring the film stays true to Chinese aesthetics. Breathtaking sequences, such as the ethereal design of a seven-coloured lotus that reconstructs Ne Zha’s body, are brought to life using 3D technology, while evoking the classical beauty of Chinese art.

“The ability to merge traditional Chinese aesthetics with state-of-the-art animation techniques has not only elevated the film’s artistic value but also opened up new possibilities for the future of Chinese animation,” said Professor Huang Danhong from Sichuan College of Media and Communications.

Through perseverance, innovation and a commitment to cultural authenticity, Chinese animation has found a way to speak to the world without losing its cultural identity.

Despite the phenomenal feat of Ne Zha 2, future successes aren’t guaranteed for Chinese animation. A box office gross exceeding 100 million yuan (US$13.76 million) remains an elusive milestone for most domestic animated films. Only two of such works surpassed this threshold in the Chinese market in 2024.

The good news is that Chinese animators are now upbeat and confident. “One day, Chinese animated films will bring forth something truly original new ideas, new depth, new soul that the whole world will appreciate,” said Jiaozi.

Today, young Chinese moviegoers like me have a growing appetite for homegrown animations, and I look forward to each new release in theatres.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those ofPearls and Irritations.